Americans will spend an estimated $55.5 billion on their pets in 2013, with approximately $14.2 billion going toward veterinary care. While scientific advances have made it possible to treat canine cataracts or replace bad hips, the cost of such services can number in the thousands of dollars. Enter the pet insurance industry, placing an unprecedented amount of responsibility on owners’ shoulders — how much should we pay to insure our pets? How far will we go to save them?

According to the U.S Department of Agriculture, about 46.6 million people received food stamps in 2012. Luckily for struggling citizens, a federal framework is in place to ensure that they receive the help they need — but when we fall on hard times, what becomes of man’s woman’s best friend?

The positive effect of a pet on a person’s mental and physical health is indisputable, but that doesn’t mean those little critters aren’t expensive! With no steady job or skills beyond “looking super cute all day,” pets share more than just our homes — they take a healthy bite out of our annual incomes as well.

Post-graduate life can feel a little lonely, and some people cope with the transition by adopting animals. Furry friends are great company and rewarding additions to one’s life, but don’t come cheap. Many of them cost more than $1,000 per year, according to a new infographic, which also reveals that the U.S. dropped more than $50 billion on pets last year.